Christ formally takes His place in dependence among the remnant
on earth

With Psalm 16 we begin a very important series of psalms-those
in which the connection of Christ Himself with the remnant is
brought before us by the divine Spirit. In Psalm 16, Christ takes
formally His place among the remnant. It is quoted by the apostle
Peter to prove His resurrection, and the principle of it is
referred to in the epistle to the Hebrews to show His participation
in human nature.* After examining many critical authorities, I
adhere to the English translation of the second verse. The third
leaves the sense obscure, from not changing the preposition. "But
to the saints" answers to "said unto the Lord," not to "extendeth
not to thee." He says to the Lord, "My goodness ... to the saints,
... in them is all my delight." Thus this psalm has a most
important and deeply interesting place. It is Christ taking His
place in grace amongst the poor remnant of Israel of the servant to
tread the path of life which none as in flesh had found in this
world, and that leading through death to beyond it, where there was
fulness of joy. He takes the place of dependence, of trust, not of
divine equality. And He who says He does not, must have had title
to do so, or need not have said it. He was taking another place. He
takes the place of servant, and calls Jehovah His Lord. Nor was
this all. He takes a place, however alone He might be in perfection
and perfect in doing it, with the saints on earth. And this He
does, not merely as a fact, but with the fullest affection. His
delight is in them. He joys to call them the excellent of the
earth.

{*The quotation in Hebrews 2 is literally from the LXX of
Isaiah 8.}

Note further, it is not with the heavenly saints He associates
Himself, nor are those of whom He speaks here united to Him in
heaven, but He associated with them. Some may go to heaven by that
path of life of which He has Himself left the track, but His
association with them, and theirs with Him, is under the title of
the excellent of the earth.

We may further remark, that the whole psalm breathes this
spirit, and takes this place, of dependence, so precious for the
poor remnant. It is not, Destroy this temple and I will raise it up
in three days that was taking a divine place. His body was a
temple; He raised it up Himself. Here He leans as man on Jehovah in
both perfect. "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nor wilt thou
suffer thy Holy One to see corruption." Let us now consider the
contents of this psalm in more detailed order. We have already
noticed the first verses; but the principles are of the last
importance, as presenting Christ taking this place, so that I
return to them.

Messiah taking the place of a man with God

Messiah looks as man to God to preserve Him. He takes the place
of man. It is not merely a Jew already there calling on Jehovah,
but a man with God. He puts His trust in Him. The principle of
trust Paul alleges in Hebrews 2 as a witness that Messiah was the
true man. Next, He takes the place of a servant. He says to Jehovah
for now He takes His place before Him "Thou art my Adon, my Lord."
This is a definite and distinct place. He moreover takes His place,
not in divine goodness towards others, but before God in a man's
place. My goodness, He says, extendeth not to thee. Thus He said to
the young man who came to Him, "Why callest thou me good? there is
none good but one, that is God." But though in truth alone, looked
at in His relationship to man, for all were sinners, He takes His
place with the remnant, the excellent of the earth. This He did
historically, when He went to the baptism of John Baptist, with
those whom the Spirit led to God in the holy path of
repentance. They went first there. He associates Himself with them
in grace. Still, we look on to the full result in the last days
even here. He will not hear of any God but Jehovah. The sorrows of
those who did should be multiplied. Jehovah Himself was His
portion, and He maintained Him in the sure enjoyment of that which
He was to enjoy in the purpose of God, and pleasant was the place
where the lines had fallen to Him. It was Jehovah's inheritance on
the earth that was His portion, and this is specially in
Israel. Such was His portion; but then there was His path
first. Here He blesses Jehovah too. His counsel was always His
guide. He walked by it. The secret of Jehovah was with Him to guide
Him; and away from men, when all was brought into the silence of
His heart and its inmost feelings, His own inmost thoughts were
light and guidance. It is ever so when we are in communion with
God; for, though in the heart (such thoughts are always His light
in it, the fruit, and the moral fruit, of the working of His
Spirit) there was the positive direction and guidance of Jehovah,
and those inward apprehensions of His soul, the result of divine
work in it.

The perfection of Christ as a man

In Christ of course this was perfect. It is well, while judging
of all by the word, not to neglect this working of the soul, as
moved and taught of God. The mind of the Spirit in moral
discernment, is found in it. Besides this guidance, there was
positive purpose of heart. He had set Jehovah always before
Him. This only direction did He follow, and because of His being
near, and at His right hand, He would not be moved. It was not
self-dependence, but trust in Jehovah. This was indeed the path of
life, though as yet unmanifested in visible power (compare Rom. 1:
4).

Hence He would rejoice through all, and pass through death with
unclouded hope; His flesh should rest in it; as a man He did not
fear it. Jehovah, whom He trusted, would not leave His soul in
hades, nor suffer His Holy One to see corruption. Soul and body,
though going respectively to the place of departed spirits and the
place of corruption, would not be left in the one or see the
other. Jehovah would show Him the path of life through, but beyond,
death. How blessedly He did so! It led up to brighter joys than
Israel's blessing, among whom He had come to sojourn. There indeed
the excellent of the earth could not follow Him (John 13: 33, 36;
John 21: 19). He must first dry up the waters of Jordan for them,
and make it the path for them also where He was gone. For that
path, since it led through death, must lead, if it was indeed the
path of life, to what was beyond it the presence of Him, in whose
presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are
pleasures for evermore.

Resurrection, the blessed issue and result of the Lord's path here

Such is the blessed issue and result of the Lord's path across
this world, where He took His place among the saints, and trod, in
confidence on Jehovah (into whose hands He committed His spirit),
the path which, if He took us up, must lead through death, and then
found the path again in resurrection, and so as man up to Him with
whom is fulness of joy. The Spirit of holiness marked the life of
the Son of God all through. He was declared to be such, with power,
by resurrection; but, being man, passed up into the presence of
God. The holy confiding life found its perfect joy there. He is
(blessed be God, and the name of that blessed One who has trod this
path!) our forerunner.*

{*Compare as to a special aspect of this, John 12: 23, 24; and
the Lord's consequent place, in chapters 11, 12, 13, as we have
seen, had given testimony to His place according to Psalm 2. See
note on Psalm 8.}

Christ's position in the midst of Israel; the difference
between Israel's associations with Christ and those of the
assembly

Let us dwell for a moment on the connection of this with other
scriptures, partially referred to. It is of importance, as showing
Christ's position in the midst of Israel, and the difference of
their associations with Him, from those of the saints of the
assembly. And besides that, we get the divinely perfect feelings of
Christ Himself in this position: He is in association with the
saints in Israel; only He voluntarily takes it (that is, that into
which they are called out in witness of their return to God). We
see (Heb. 2: 13) that this association is with those that are
sanctified. He makes one company with that pious remnant manifested
thus for God. He is not ashamed to call them brethren, having taken
up their cause and consequently become man, become flesh and blood,
because the children whom God had given Him partook of it.

We see that He really became man, but to identify Himself with
the interests, and to secure the blessing of the saints,* of the
remnant, of the children whom God was bringing to glory, and who
are distinguished from the mass of Israel, to whom they were to be
a sign (see Isaiah 8: 18). In this passage the condition of this
remnant and the expectation of better days are considered. Leaving
aside the assembly which is not the subject of prophecy, the
passage passes, as we often see, from Christ's personal connection
with the saints in Israel to this position and portion of these
saints in the last days. This is with sufficient distinctness given
us in this passage of Isaiah to help us much in understanding the
way in which the Spirit of God does pass from the previous history
of the saints in Israel over to the last days, leaving out the
assembly altogether. Christ, in spirit, contemplates these only His
connection, that is, with the remnant of Israel, and so far with
the nation, and thus passes over the whole history of the assembly,
to Himself again in the same connection with the nation in the last
days.

{*Thus, becoming man, and through glorifying God in His work as
man, He has also title under God's gift over all flesh.} 76

"Bind up the testimony," He says (Isaiah 8: 16, 17), "seal the
law among my disciples, and I will wait* upon Jehovah, who hideth
his face from the house of Israel, and will look for him." This was
when He had become the rejected sanctuary and the stumbling-stone.

{*This is the passage quoted in Hebrews 2 "I will put my trust
in him."}

It continues to the final glory, when Israel shall possess Him
as the Son born to them (Isaiah 9: 6, 7). If we do not abstract the
assembly, it is impossible to understand the prophecies of the Old
Testament. The assembly has her heavenly portion, but Christ can
consider His relationship with His earthly people separately.

Trust alone in Jehovah ending in the highest joy -- the
presence of God

To return to Psalm 16, the reader will remark the reference to
idolatry (one of God's great controversies with Israel) in the
fourth verse. From Matthew 12: 43-45, and Isaiah 65 we learn that
the Jews will fall into idolatry in the latter days. Jehovah alone
is acknowledged by the prophetic Spirit of Christ. It is after this
is all done away that He will rejoice, in the days that are to
come, in the portion which Jehovah has given Him with the excellent
of the earth. The certainty of this hope is connected with the
resurrection (which is a necessary condition to its fulfilment, and
which the favour of Jehovah secures to His Anointed) in all the
virtue of that power which will not suffer His Holy One to see
corruption. Hence the apostle refers to the sure mercies of David;
that is, to the accomplishment of all God's promises to Israel, as
a proof that Christ was to rise from the dead now no more to return
to corruption. Nothing can be more beautiful (if it be not His
death) than the expression of the Lord's feelings given us in this
psalm the expression by Himself of the place He has taken, and that
with the saints. Jehovah is His own portion. How truly was it so!
What other had He? Yet His delight was in the saints. Do we not see
it in His disciples? With the first step of spiritual life in the
remnant, shown in their going to John's baptism of repentance, He
identifies Himself who surely had no need of repentance. So, as a
faithful man, an Israelite, He sets Jehovah always before Him. So,
even in death, He rests, in confidence, on Him for resurrection,
that path of life through, and in spite of, death (and which He has
opened for us), and there Jehovah, God, His Father's presence, is
(He knows) the fulness of joy; at His right hand pleasures for
evermore. This is the highest proper joy of the mind and Spirit of
Christ; not glory, but the presence of God.